A Knight's Acceptance
by PandaFlute
Summary: A knight chooses to enter the ranks of Lord Meta Knight. This adventure is filled with thrills, mystery, and action! Will he make it in? Follow to find out! Rated T for blood.
1. A First Friend

As I walked to the entrance of the ship, a shadow of fear passed over me. To my ideal image, the ship towered over the sea and stretched endlessly. A mask, I suppose, decorated the front of the ship. I assumed in my thoughts that the captain was a bit of a narcissist. I inched closer to the hull, breaking out in cold feet. I noticed that I wasn't the only one here.

Up ahead of me, guarding the entrance was a tall warrior. He carried a flail, gripping tightly in his gloved hands. His eyes glowed red with a powerful radiance. Quivering with the prayers of an innocent soul, I stood before him.

"Yes?" he asked. His eyes bore holes into my face. "Y-yes," I responded. "I'm looking for, Sir Meta Knight?"

"Hmph," the knight said, raising his head a little. "And you want?" he asked, peering at me closely. A quaking mess I was as he circled around me. I was shaking from head to toe. "N-nothing at all of the unnecessary sort!" I squeaked. Once he was done, he shook his head and sighed. "You look good enough. Come with me."

Whew! That was a cinch! The knight led me inside of the ship, locking the door behind him. "The name's Mace, by the way." My eyes instantly led to the flail. Following my gaze, he added, "I know. Ironic, right?"

I followed him through a chilly hallway with little plasma thingumabobs floating around. Their curious looks made me giggle a little as I passed them. There were many doors that embellished the walls. Each time we reached a certain point, he would say a password, and the door automatically opened. The clouds of Orange Ocean was very fascinating at this point. The ocean itself sparkled with a glitter of sunshine as I walked every step.

The corridors themselves had a little trolley, which would make you pass quickly from one spot to another.

Reaching our destination, he pulled me aside whispering in a low tone. "Now look here, I don't want you to get in any trouble, so listen to what I say. The captain is a cranky, old gentleman who only survives on coffee. He excepts the best out of you in appearance. Plus, he's kind of a neat freak. So… just don't do anything dirty."

From him, I learned of the people I will soon be encountering. Mace is part of a team called the Meta-Knights, the elite force of the knight. With him are also two other guards named Sword and Blade, and a Waddle Dee. The ship has a main cannon and five engines. The main cannon is actually Combo Cannon 2. And the ship is powered by the Reactor. The Reactor is filled with many Wheelies running to and fro. Somehow, I thought it was kinda cruel to make them scurry endlessly for energy.

We walked two paces and reached our door. Mace turned to me again, locking our stares. He sighed. "Listen, whatever you do, make sure you pull through, ok? It's not everyday we get a new recruit. You have good potential." I just nodded. He opened the door, allowing me to pass. It was a very dark room. No lights. Just a cold blindfold. I peered inside, putting my hand in front of me, trying to grasp for any objects.

Mace sighed again. He stepped behind me and laid a hand on my helmet. "I wish I didn't have to do this," he murmured. Without time to think, he pushed me forward and slammed the door. I quickly turned and heard him locking the door. _Ka-chunk!_ I kept beating on the door to no avail. Minutes later, I gave up. Just about that time, I heard a squawk across from my position. I readied my axe, preparing for the obstacle.

**Authors Note**: (3/17/2013)_This is coming from a first-person perspective. From here we meet the first character, Mace Knight. And we also learn a little bit about the Halberd and its creator. From Mace's brief dialogue, he explains that there are more of the ship's crew, so be watching for them. For now, let's meet the Flail Knight, shall we?  
_

Mace Knight  
Age: Unknown, maybe the same as the protagonist.  
Main weapon: Flail  
Personality: Cold and sarcastic on the outside, but can be somewhat of a softie.  
Alliance: Lord Meta Knight  
Fears: The wind  
Other names: Meta Chain/Flail (Only used by the inferior subjects and occasional references?)


	2. We Meet Captain Vul

**Chapter 2: We meet Captain Vul**  
"Squawk! Who goes there!?" a hoarse voice shouted. Trusting my instincts, I backed up against the door. "Move any further, and I'll shoot!" I stood frozen in my spot.

"Caw, that's a good lad. Now, I'm turning on the lights. If you aren't standing in that same spot you are now, I'll shoot you dead," the voice continued. I heard a set of footsteps slowly walk next to my spot. "There, there, that a good lad. Just stand still, caw."

The lights switched on, revealing the speaker to be, an albatross, I presume. He was fairly at a taller height than I. A white beard spouted from the bottom of his beak, giving the elderly appearance. He had the energy of a youthful man that defied the laws of age. Blazing blue eyes were focused on my face. In his steel grip was a revolver, aimed between my eyes. "Of what region do you hail?" he asked.  
"Grape Gardens, sir," I responded. I never took my eyes off the trigger. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
"Hmph. Typical. You smell of them." I didn't know whether that was a good thing or bad thing. I assumed that it's safe not to know for the moment.

He lowered the revolver, muttering to himself. He waddled his way over to a green sofa, plopping himself down. Closing his eyes, he motioned to a coffeepot sitting on a lonely little desk. "Pour me a cup." He closed his eyes and began his catnap.

I quickly made my way over to the coffeepot. I was merely astounded at the fact that was already a stepping stool prepared for me. Perhaps he knew of my coming... Opening the lid, the fresh scent of grinded beans had a full impact on the nostrils. Slowly, I began to pour the brew into the cup. I don't know why, but my hand that was holding the cup began to shake. Frowning, I restrained myself from making a scene. I gripped it tightly. _To acquire a good impression, one must be in self-control of thyself._ I learned that from experience. I sighed in relief as the cup was successfully filled. Setting it down on the saucer, I closed back the lid. I decided to take a sneak peek behind me and saw the captain in a deep snooze. I took the steaming saucer to him.

I had a sneaky little idea. Waving the cup under his nose, his head followed the coffee. He drowsily leaned forward to get a sniff. I restrained myself from laughing out loud. Enough was enough, so I let him alone. His head fell back on the sofa, waking him up. The captain jumped up, eyes popped open. He stared down at me with questionable eyes. "Why didn't you wake me up, lad?" I just shrugged in response.


	3. Cute Little Sailor

**Chapter 3: Cute Little Sailor**

The coffee break went well with the captain. He showed himself to be a bragger sometimes about his ship.  
"Tons of steel can easily rule the world," he boasted. He took a large sip of his coffee. He squawked indescribable words and fired his revolver into the ceiling. I stood still as he handed the saucer back to me. I couldn't keep a steady grip on both objects, as I feared for my life. "Hold on to it, it's the only set I've got!" he roared.  
In a nervous wreck, I dropped the china on the floor with a Crash! Next thing I knew what was I was out cold.

"Is he all right?"  
"The boy's fine. Just fainted."  
"What did you do to him?"  
"Nothing. He was a sudden wreck."  
_*Sniff, sniff*_ "On a binge again, aren't you?"  
"Don't question my authority, Mace."  
"That's the third one this week, Vul. You don't even want to remember what happened last time."  
"_Do not. Question. My authority._"  
Opening my eyes, I looked up seeing the stern faces of the Captain and Mace glaring at one another. The captain possessed a stone-cold face, while Mace's eyes were glowing a dangerous red. Telling from their words, I sensed that these two had a disagreeable history with each other. I gave a quiet cough, signaling my consciousness. The two looked down at me.  
"Oh thank the stars you're alive! You can buy me a new set!" Vul sighed. I glared at him. So much for being concerned.  
Mace stared at me with concern. "You ok?" He offered to help me up. "Awesome," I replied. He smiled. "At least you've got a sense of humor."  
A little knock sounded at the door. Excusing myself from the embarrassment, I assumed the position of a butler. Opening it, I was surprised to find a Waddle Dee standing at the door. Very young and a few inches shorter than me, he distinguished himself from the others with a sailor's cap. "Hi there! You're quite new here, aren't ya?" he piped cheerily.  
He quickly scuttled into the room. With rosy cheeks, he addressed me. "Pleased to meet you. My name's Dee. Sailor Dee," he said, tipping his cap, "As you can obviously see." _Polite little guy_, I thought. I tipped my helmet back in respect, "Ax Knight."  
The captain showed no hint of ambivalence at his coming. He cleared his throat to get attention. Sailor Dee turned to him, saluting. "Reporting for duty, Captain Vul!"  
"Any news?"  
"Ah yes, good news, sir. The mecha is almost finished."  
I stiffened. "A _mecha_?" I repeated.  
Mace quickly turned his accusatory glare to Vul again. "You haven't told him about the mecha, either? What the heck were you doing?" He quickly yelped and ducked as a bullet came whizzing over his head. The bullet made contact with a portrait of a narwhal, making the frame hang lopsided. "Lucky shot," he muttered to himself.

* * *

**Author's note:** _(3/20/2013) Hello there, readers! Yes, the Captain Vul is quite a character, isn't he? And thank Heavens Sailor Dee came onto the scene. Or else we would have witnessed one heck of a mess. Here's a little bio about these two if you want to learn more about them. :)_

Captain Vul  
Age: Somewhere around a grandpa age. :P  
Main weapon: Revolver  
Personality: Cranky, more sarcastic than Mace Knight  
Alliance: The Meta-Knights  
Fears: Failure, and dropping his coffee

Sailor Waddle Dee  
Age: 12  
Personality: Cheerful. Always willing to help othersAlliance: Ditto  
Fears: Captain Vul in his scary mood, when he's around coffee.  
Job: Cabin boy. Apprentice to Captain Vul.


	4. Bot and Samurai

Chapter 4:Bot and Samurai

"I suppose you haven't been to the Training Grounds?" Mace Knight asked. I shook my head. "Well, we'd best be on our way," he sighed. "Follow me."

On our way to the Training Grounds, we had to walk down a long ways to the back of the ship. (To tell you one thing, this ship needs more trolleys, because it makes my feet hurt.) During our walk, my curiousity began to tug at me. I wondered about the relationship between Vul and Mace. The two never had a conversation together, and if they did, it ended in a steamed argument. The knight used sneaky motives to get the upper hand of to defying his authority. If you ask me, I think they act like father and son. A couple of questions couldn't hurt.

"Why?" I would ask. He would shrug in response. "Just don't wanna talk about it," he mumbled.

Against my instincts, I pushed further. He sighed. Then he started walking a pace faster than me. At the end of the hallway, Mace stepped into an elevator and stamped his foot impatiently. He quickly turned the switch on for the elevator to go down a floor. If it wasn't for the flashing lights, I would have missed it.

I felt slightly embarrassed standing next to him. Mace hissed to me quietly, "Don't ask me anything else." My bony cheeks flushed brighter than ever.

* * *

Going down the floor, we finally arrived at the Grounds. I tlooked like we weren't the only ones daring to enter. Two more warriors, a samurai and a small robot accompanied us. The samurai donned a gold crescent on his helmet and an electric trident. The robot made high-pitched beeps as it flew closer to me. "Well, hey there, little fella," I greeted. The robot beeped again and flew back to the samurai.  
"Sorry about that," the samurai apologized,"He's shy to new people. His name's Javelin, and mine's Trident." He laughed, showing off his trident, "As you might know my signature weapon."

"This here's the new recruit," Mace introduced me.

"Ah, a new recruit!" Trident walked around me, beginning his inspection. "Lord Meta Knight will be pleased."

"Beep! Beep!" the robot beeped, flying in circles around me. From its attitude, it seemed like it wanted to be introduced also. Trident continued, "I rescued him from some wacko scientists experimenting on him a while back."

"Scientists?" I asked.

Trident nodded, "They were of different origins than any of us. They weren't of good allegiance, that's for sure. They emitted some strange, dark aura..."

I frowned. "Dark aura?"

Trident waved it away. "We are not here to discuss evil beings. That is irrelevant. Let's get you adjusted to the Grounds."

I followed them inside. Mace stopped in the doorway. "You coming?" I asked. He hesitated, unsure. "I'll catch up." I frowned again, thinking of him. Something was wrong. And for the hours that I have joined, he seemed more worried than ever.

* * *

**Author's note (3/30/13):  
**_Happy Easter, everyone! :)  
We're meeting Trident and Javelin, two more members of Meta Knight's allegiance. From what we hear, Trident is an actual samurai. (The crescent moon located on an armor tells of Japanese descent.) And Javelin is a robot that communicates with the pitches of his beeps. He was saved from some "scientists of other origins" with a dark aura.  
And it seems that Mace is being unsure of his feelings. What's wrong with him? What's bothering him? That will be coming soon, dear readers...  
Again, Happy Easter to all! Good night!  
_


	5. The Training Grounds

**Chapter 5: The Training Grounds**

It was enough to satisfy a warrior's appetite. An obstacle course occupied most of the space. Trident immediately got to work, alongside Javelin's excited beeps . Wooden dummies were the first line of defense. Trident easily beheaded them while Javelin twirled a newly produced spear. Next, they had to scale a brick wall using only a rope. Javelin was easily exempted, but the samurai accepted the lo ad. For someone of his background, one leap was all it took and away in a flying jump he was. Third, there was a mini-pool of chunky little gators that had to b e avoided. Standing at the edge of the pool, Trident raised his weapon in a majestic way. A bolt of spark ejected from t he trident and electrocuted them. He dashed and jump on the gators so gracefully , you'd think that he was a swan in disguise.

They finally reached the end. They haven 't even released a pant of exhaustion.

The warriors who were watching them clapped enthusiastically. Javelin flew in circles, enjoying his little show. Trident proudly bowed; light reflected off his crescent.

Trident turned to me and asked, "Why don 't you go, Axe?" I froze in my spot. All of the warriors turned and began inspecting me. Some whispered incoherent things that I could tell was of my birthplace and my size.

"Grape Gardens? This guy's probably been kick out of the vineyard multiple times ."

"He's pretty small to join the league."

"Grape Gardens is only for losers like him."

"You know, he looks familiar. Someone else I know. Both losers like each other, ha!" Everyone started guffawing and hoot ing.

I felt pretty steamed about the conversations. Blind in my anger, I shouted, "Gr ape Gardens are not for losers!" Javelin gave encouraging beeps.

"Then I don't suppose you are related to the brainless relatives you share a grave with?" an alecky one called out. I retorted, "For your information, we skulls are important to your anatomy. If it wasn't for us, your head would be bashed i n less than a minute."

The knight laughed, "Is that a challenge ?"

I clenched my fist. "You bet it is!"

The crowd stopped laughing, aware of my challenge. A few gasped in shock, while some immature ones began to bet money.

I continued on, "I challenge you to a Ti me Race on the whole obstacle course!"

The knight's eyes glittered with ambition. He turned to his cohorts and boasted, "This will be easy. The pipsqueak doesn't have a chance against me."

We marched to the start line. Most of the combatants sided with the brute, while I had my new friends. They separated themselves on both sides of the course. "Since you're new here, how about I give you a 5-second headstart?" the knight smugly offered. _He was thinking that I was slow, too!_

"No chance," I rejected, "I'm tough enough."

"Suit yourself. You're going to regret that."  
"All right, gentlemen. On your marks, get set, GO!"


	6. Challenge in the Grounds

The wooden dummies appeared form nowhere , surrounding us with newly attached heads. I threw my weapon like a boomerang, dispatching several heads on my side. Opposite of me, my opponent was hacking the e dummies to pieces with his halberd. When he was finished, there was nothing left of them except for little wooden shavings scattered all over the floor. Gulp.. .

Next, we scaled the wall. The knight has a cheeky little idea in his brain to cut my rope. I took a hard fall. The rope tumbled on top of me. Through the hole of the rope, I could see the knight laughing as he griped his halberd. "Told you he wouldn't last long!"

Determined, I gripped the rope and axe. Tying them together, I threw the axe to the point where he was. The rope tighten ed around my small size, dragging me along with it. As the axe made contact with the wall, his smug face was replaced with shock.  
"Hi!" I greeted him. The knight yelped as I jumped on his head. Letting go of the items, I gripped the edge of the wall. I heard a disgruntled groan below me. I paid no attention as I heaved myself to the top. Once I firmly placed my feet on the edge, I yanked my weapon out of the wall. I jumped below to meet the gators.

The gators' eyes had stars in their eyes , spotting their latest snack. The knight went behind me, whistling a cheery tune.  
"After you!" he sung. He pushed me in to the waiting jaws of the hungry gators.  
"What the heck!?" I yelled, losing balance.  
Javelin combusted himself into a coma.  
Trident screamed, "AXE!"  
The warriors who sided with that mangy rat prevented them from coming to my rescue.  
Before I plummeted down to my death, someone else said, "Looks like his head is in the clouds!"

The water felt so cold. And so.. peaceful. I had no time to think as I felt the slap of a gator tail. I panicked and swam to the top. I think I set the world record for being the longest jumper of multiple gators' mouths. I began whacking their snouts with the butt of my axe. "Look at that guy go!" one chortled.  
As I raised my axe, to whack the last one, I spotted Mace with the corner of my eye.

_What is he doing here!?_ Whacking the last one, I swam for my life. Panting with exhaustion, I climbed on the platform at the end of the course. Looking back, I saw I wasn't the only one who was having a bad day.

I looked up and saw Mace's stern face accompanied with Trident and Javelin's ear nest behaviors.

"Excellent job!" Trident shouted, clapping his hands. Javelin flew in circles. "Beep! Beep! Beep!"

"I thought I warned you to stay out of trouble!" he scolded me.

"For your information, I was busy kickin' butt. And where were you when all of this was happening!? I almost got killed by that brute!"

Mace looked at the knight, who was crying his heart out. He frowned. Turning to Trident, he asked, "What the heck happened?"  
Trident beamed in wonder. "Your friend here just beat Hank's record. He's remarkable!"

Mace's jaw dropped. "Brute Hank!?"

"So that's what his name was," I ventured out loud. As if on cue, Hank tottered over to us with his shocked cohorts. "You were just lucky," he spat. We locked eyes. My red eyes against his fiery orange ones. "You won't be so lucky next time ," he threatened.

"You showed him!" Sailor Dee piped up.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to celebrate, because the fall into the water began to take its toll on me. I wavered from side to side; my vision faded in and out. "We'd better take him to the bunks. He looks flushed," Trident suggested. The crew carried me up a floor to the bunks.


	7. The Bunks

**Chapter 7: The Bunks**

A floor up from the Training Grounds were the most finest beds I ever slept on. Cloud white, and thick blankets. The pillows themselves were a marvelous thing to wonder about. I exhaled a huge sigh of comfort. It was a very quiet room. Not too fancy. A bookshelf, phone, nightstand, and a wardrobe accompanied each room in the banks.

* * *

My new friends gathered around me as I drifted off to sleep. "It's getting kinda late. Maybe we should hit the sack, too," Mace said worriedly.  
Trident responded, "What are you so worried about? You've been acting like this every since he came. Is there something you'd like to tell me?"  
"Hush. Not so loud." Mace waited until I fell asleep. _Trident's right. Even though I knew him for a day, he's been acting weird... Yawn. Must get some sleep... zzzz._

* * *

Mace stared at Axe. The little warrior that he is, he already posted a threat to the league. Hank probably won't forgive him again for bringing the skull here. But he had to admit, he had made a good impression. Surely Zero Two hasn't got to him. There seemed to be nothing wrong with him. He sighed. _Just an overreaction._  
He turned to Trident. "Has he been doing anything weird?" Javelin responded with a negative beep.  
Trident pressed further. "What's going on?"

Mace made sure that Axe was fully asleep. "Zero Two has been spreading Dark Matter, now that we have been getting more recruits. Grape Garden was one of the places that was infected with Dark Matter. He came to us during the plague. There's a possible chance that he could be one of them!"  
Trident shook his head in disbelief. "Not him. He's one of us, now."  
"Meta Knight hasn't even accepted him yet!"  
"We'll have to wait and see tomorrow. Night, Mace. Come on, Javelin. Time to sleep."  
"Sleep." Javelin quietly shut off, landing in Trident's outstretched arms. They exited the room, leaving Mace by himself to think.

Mace sighed. "What would Father do?" he asked aloud to himself. Axe let out a little snore, causing him to leave.

* * *

He walked quietly to his room all alone in the dark hallway. He was about to open the door until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop right there, Flail Knight."

He whirled around, punching his attacker. The attacker kicked his feet underneath him, making him fall beside him. Mace was grabbed in a choke-hold as his position switched form being on top to the bottom. His breath was snatched out of his throat in less than a minute. Feeling his opponent's muscles, he weakly gasped, "Hank?"  
He felt a blow to the back of his head. 7 stars swam before his eyes. He groaned, letting his head fall to the ground. Soundly defeated, a black void overtook him. Hank laughed as his victim acknowledged defeat.

"You're the perfect candidate. Master will be pleased," he said tying Mace up.

"_Good work_," a second voice said. The voice spoke of a presence that was sweet like honey. "_Tie him up, and let's get out of here before anyone sees him. The Master will be pleased with us. He looks like he has high potential._"

That night, Mace Knight went missing.


	8. Missing

**Missing**

I woke up to a bright sunny morning. Birds chirping, Plasma Wisps singing, what more could be better? Javelin was buzzing over my head, acting like an alarm clock. The mental note to lock my door formed in my head.

Trident entered the room. "Today's the big day, Sir Axe. Meta Knight has requested to see you himself. Be ready in 20 minutes. He will be waiting to see you by then."

A silence passed over the room as I registered the news. "Plus, the Captain will be there, too," he added. I groaned.  
"That's great to know," Trident laughed, "First meeting didn't go so well, huh?" I sighed.  
"All I can say is: Stand up and make a name for yourself," he finished. "Why don't we go down to the Grounds? That'll loosen you up a bit."

We went to the Grounds for a quick practice run. Our little training took place at the same field across from the obstacle course. Trident and I took our sides. He dashed forward, commencing practice. He protruded my space with his weapon with an outstretched hand. My axe met his trident with a _Clash!_

He pushed forward with a threatening force. A wave of electricity sent me flying across the field. _Thud! _I landed on the ground. Trident leapt up, poised to strike. I rolled out of the way as his trident sunk into the ground. As he tried to yank it out of the ground, I seized the opportunity. A slice of my axe sent him up in the air. Jumping up, Javelin flew in, swinging a spear round and round. I aimed a kick at his screen with my left foot. The robot went flying like a football. Trident flew at me in the same position as before.

I made the silly mistake of charging at him again. Again, a bolt of electricity occurred, and I went farther as I flew to the wall again. This time, I landed safely on my feet.

I prepared to strike at Trident. But he didn't move. He stood still, listening for something. Javelin quietly whirred around the room, trying to find the source of the sound.

"You hear that?" the samurai asked. I waited patiently for the buzzing of Javelin to quiet down.

Once all was silent, we heard the elevator whizzing down to the Grounds' level. Once the elevator came down, a panicked Sailor Dee tumbled out. He seemed breathless. "Have you seen him?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Mace Knight. He hasn't returned from his shift, yet."

"He's always taking a few minutes late from his shift, Dee. You know that."

Lots of questions began to swim in my head. As if on cue, Sailor Dee turned to me. He quickly scrambled over to me, almost knocking us both over. "You've been with him last night, right? Then you must know where he is."

I shrugged. "No idea."

Dee tapped his feet in impatience, "Ooh! He's going to be late for the day shift, that's for sure!"

"Calm down," I soothed. "He must have important business to attend to."

The Waddle Dee thought for a moment. His ponderous face remained plastered on his face as I exited the Training Grounds alone. I walked down two doors to find the showers. For my height, it was a great disgrace as I struggled to reach for a towel. With rosy cheeks, I entered the kiddie-sized space. The cold water hit my face with a _Splash! _Many thoughts entered my head as I cleansed myself. One question on my mind though was: _What the heck is going on?! Reclusive knights, black plagues, and lost memories..._

I started to worry about my friends at home. Grape Garden was always peaceful. Not too controversial or shabby. Neighbors that are always there to help you when you're feeling down. The folks there are nice. And of course, who could ever forget waking to the Birdon's call every dawn? And the food was delish and convenient.

I didn't have much of a family. I grew up in an orphanage. The orphanage was the unpleasant spot of our town. There you would find the most rowdiest kids of the bunch. Bullying was common. The quietest kids would be picked on first. Brash kids would try to clear their name through catapults of mashed potatoes.

Then what happened to my parents, you ask? Well, they have been... infected. One year before I made up my mind to join the Halberd, there was reports of attacks over Dreamland. Attacks caused by strange forces called, "Shadows." People would turn into mindless, raging zombies. I don't know how long it takes, but some victims would have little or no recollection of what happened.

We Garden People thought that it would never reach us. But we were wrong.

The Judge was the first to go down. Locked by himself in a room, a shadow took possessoin of him. No idea what went through his mind, or I should say, "its mind." The next court cases was one heck of a mess. Every outlaw, criminal, and inhumane guy you could think of pleaded innocent. They escaped with huge smiles. The townspeople were outraged and confused. Stores were robbed, innocent people scarred with nightmares, the town was a frenzy. All of the building and houses locked their doors and never dared to go out. They fired the shocked judge next week and quickly hired a replacement. The substitute was no better off.

Next thing you know, we fell into months of fear, accompanied by weeks of darkness. The orphanage was unexpectedly shut down, and the kids were tossed to random families. They didn't mind, but were worried about the extra mouths to feed. Unlucky me, I was tossed to an abandoned house. The owners didn't dare to look back once they dropped me off.  
I haven't seen light in weeks ever since the last case. I hated being cooped up in my house alone. It was horrible at night. The wind would blow through the trees at night, leading me to think that they were mourning souls. The only light I received were the stars shining through the holes on my roof. I was never able to sleep a wink. I was only comfortable during the day, which of everyone was least active.

I had no family, wrenching my heart to the end of its core with pain and loneliness. I had no one to cuddle up against. Someone to confide my fears in. Someone to give me advice. A person to tell me that everything would be okay, and that we would see the sun again.

_... Maybe that was how Mace felt after his father died in the war... The only thing we have to worry about now is his whereabouts..._

BAM BAM BAM!  
I hatched open my eyes carelessly, letting water fall into them. I coughed out a spell or two, then dried myself off. Rubbing my eyes in irritation, I switched the shower off.  
After I took care of business, I opened sesame, lo and behold, there was Sailor Dee. The kid was hyperactive, and there was no end to it.

"Lord Meta Knight wants to see you now!"

My heart pulsed at 80 beats per minute.


	9. Majestic Knight

**Majestic Knight**

As I entered the office, I found Vul standing next to the leather chair turned backwards. The albatross surveyed me with an eagle's eye. "You're late," he cawed to Dee. The boy panted, showing exhaustion.  
"Enough," spoke the chair. "We have important business to discuss." The chair turned around to reveal the one and only- Lord Meta Knight. His dark navy cape covered most of his figure. Compared to my puny size, he was slightly taller than I. When he spoke, he sang low notes. He practically sounded melodious. His true identity was hidden behind a silver mask and golden disks that pierced my courage.  
Once again, I was nervous. But I knew better than to shiver in front of him, rather than Vul. The only thing I feared was his sword. He seemed strong enough to slash Whispy into two. The gold weapon glowed through his sheath. The only skin I could see of him was his blue complexion; leather shoes completing his attire. I was in the presence of Zeus.

"Right, as I was saying, let's get down to business." He gracefully stepped from his chair to the middle of the room. A projector automatically veered in from the ceiling as Javelin switched the lights off.  
The photo of a ghostly being was cast on the screen. Occupying it was an upside-down raindrop with one eye, oddly-shaped wings, and a halo.  
"This is Zero Two. The beast that is responsible for the destruction of the communities," Meta Knight began.  
"Isn't he Nightmare's creation?" I asked.  
His eyes glowed a shimmer of blue as he responded. "That's a good question, but the answer is no. He was created into existence, ex nihlo. We don't know very much about him, as you can tell."  
"Born with slightly more intellect than an average person, it can deceive with little words. A charismatic character to trick you with lies and deceptions."  
A silence followed as a roll of photos of Zero Two attacking Dreamlanders. Vul handed the knight a map, to which he proceeded to show us. "We have already marked the regions in his dominion. We must take these into consideration, if they are to start a rebellion," the albatross said. "I suggest that we start with Pop Star."  
"What is the destination's duration?"  
"1 hour, sir."  
"That's enough to organize the troops. Dee, set course to Pop Star. Trident, prepare the troops. Vul, come with me to the Quarters. We shall discuss the battle plans."

As everyone parted their separate ways, I popped the question of my training. Meta Knight stood for a moment, thinking. "Your training will resume as normal during this hour. Make yourself useful."  
"Who will train me?"  
"...Hank will mentor you."  
_WHAT!?  
_ "But sir!" Trident protested.  
"Do as I say, Trident."  
"Yes... my lord."

* * *

I walked out of the room, furious. I bumped into the executioner himself.  
"Hey kiddo, that was quite a show you put there, yesterday! How about we go to the top of the ship and do some sparring there?" Hank laid a large hand on my shoulder as we strolled to the trolley.

He seemed nonchalant.

I didn't like it.


	10. A King's War: Part 1

**A King's War: War on Pop Star**

* * *

**PART 1**

"You don't look like you're from around here," the boy said. He accoutered himself with yellow elvish shoes and a blue cap. He bore a similar appearance to one of Santa's elves. He was ages younger than Meta Knight, as foreseen by his cocky attitude.

"Well? You've got any explanation for this?" he snapped. Vul stepped forward to answer, "We are traveling in search of Dedede."

The boy's eyebrows rose. "_King _Dedede?"

"Yes. Are there any chances that you're in his accquaintance?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Then you are of criminal forces," Trident decided, gripping his weapon.

"Not exactly. You see, I'm a thief. I steal from the rich and give to the poor."

"Alright, that'll do. Where exactly can we find his castle?"

"Exactly 30 minutes east. I'll be happy to escort you!"

"That's fine with me."

The boy held out a yellow hand. "Poppy Jr. is my name, bombs is the game. At your service!"

The boy and crew continued on to the castle.

As they were walking, something shifted in the air. Trident raised his hand, halting the party. "We're being watched." Everyone listened closely, picking the stomps of a parade.  
Poppy Jr. said with a worried look, "That's my cue!" The boy zipped off into the bushes.

A Waddle Doo commanding a troop of Waddle Dees marched through the woods. He stopped in front of the party, instantly recognizing danger. "Halt in the name of the King!"

They stopped, unsure of what to do. The Waddle Doo gestured for the Dee Troop to form an unavoidable circle around them. He eyed the party. "Tourists, eh? We don't allow such commoners on a daily basis! Move along! Nothing to see here!" He grunted, poking Sailor Dee with his spear. The action made Vul scoop the sailor up in his wings.

"We aren't tourists. We are the diplomats and wish to speak to the King," the albatross said.

"Ah? I recognize that gnarly beak of yours! Captain Vul of the Meta-Knights, isn't it? Well, that makes no difference in my book. Come along! _I _will be your personal escort for today. Consider it a special favor. Move along! Nothing to see here!"

The Waddle Doo sniffed haughtily and moved the Dee Troop, continuing eastward.

The travelers were stunned. Where was their escort? Surely Poppy hadn't ditched them? "Knew we couldn't trust him," Trident snarled.

They were close to the castle's proximity when- _BOOM! _A puff of smoke enveloped the crowd, obscuring their sight. "Don't move! I want to be able to choke your throats once light comes through!" Waddle Doo coughed. "Troops! Mobilize and seek the prisoners out!"

But once the light came, the crew was nowhere to be in sight. "Curses!" Waddle Doo spat. "This was our only chance. And we've failed." The Dee Troop shivered at his words.

_Surely there was a price to pay for that..._

**END OF PART 1**

* * *

**Author's note (5/22/2013):  
**_Hey there, everyone! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Let's get to it then! New character debuts in the progress! _

Poppy Bros. Jr  
Age: Mischievously 12 years old  
Profession: Thief on Pop Star and Bomber


	11. A King's War: Part 2

**A King's War: Part 2**

Vul entered the castle with Trident and Sailor Dee close behind. Poppy at the front was muttering to himself as he moved along. "Why in the heck did I get myself into this," he repeated as he felt along the walls. The party continued upwards a spiral staircase, noticing the lack of windows. The higher they went the darker and colder it got. Adding to their discomfort was the obscurity. After one grueling hour, they reached the top. A metal door signaled the end of the pathway. It stood between them and the king.

"Here goes nothing!" Poppy grunted, pushing the door open. There, sitting on the throne was the Penguin. He made no slight movement as they approached him. "Pardon us, your Majesty, but we came here on peaceful terms if you will allow us to speak," Vul began.

The king said nothing. "It appears that Sire may be sleeping," Trident said.

Vul shook his head. "We birds don't hibernate in such sunny weather."

Poppy, who wasn't really comfortable around tyrannical figures, nervously squeaked, "Eh? Mr. Penguin, sir? Are you all right, sir?"

Trident bravely laid felt Dedede's wrist. No pulse. "He's dead."

Sailor Dee shrilled, "DEAD!?" His heart beat faster than a bullet train.

"What should we do?"

Vul cleared his throat. "We'll just make a statement to the public and inform them of what happened. He just died of a heart attack. Surely he has a successor 'round here somewhere."

"I wouldn't count on that," Trident interrupted. He stepped aside to reveal a lifeless figure lying on its side. "It appears they have been killed for quite a time."

"L-let's get out of here!" Dee yelled. The party ran back to the door, but- "IT'S LOCKED!" The boys were in a nervous wreck and began shouting indistinguishable things. "HELP! HELP!"

"Quiet down! There has to be a way out," Trident commanded. His eyes turned to Vul. "What are your orders, Captain?"

The albatross quickly scanned the room, searching for exits. "We can blow the place to bits," he suggested. Poppy heard his cue and quavered, "A-at your service…" He began to pull them out, but Trident prevented him. "If you diffuse them now, you'll discard all evidence."

"The only evidence we have are _corpses._ What good will that do to stop an angry mob? They'll think we did it." Vul clicked his tongue in frustration.

_ Clink, clink._

Vul stopped as the rest froze. He pulled out his revolver and loaded it. He motioned for everyone to gather around him.

_ Clink, clink._

They turned to see a red crystal protruding from behind the throne. "A mirror?"

_ "Wrong. That's was my toy," _a little voice answered. A hole excavated itself to reveal a purple object bounce out. Its huge eyes gazed at them, and its huge brown shoes tapped cheerfully with each step it took. "My name's Marx," it spoke in a high-pitched voice. A jester hat with red and blue was on his head.

"Want to play with me?" he asked.

Trident leaned to Vul, whispering, "It could be a trap." Vul slapped a wing on the samurai's back. "How could some cute creature be such an apparition?" he cooed, picking him up. The boys said sweet things to it. Trident looked Marx with disgust. The jester stole a glance at him and blew a raspberry.

Trident became infuriated. "Why you little-!" He ran for the jester with outstretched arms. Marx jumped out of Vul's arms, scrambling about the room.

"It seems like they're getting along just fine," Poppy grinned.

Trident finally caught Marx with a triumphant attitude. Marx began to growl, pupils shrinking to dot-size. "Don't touch me," he snarled. His cute canines turned to monstrous fangs. Golden yellow wings grew out of his back with many other crystals exactly like the one Vul shot at. As Marx opened his mouth, his tongue grew larger. With a shriek, he bit Trident's hand as he transformed. The cackling monster sprung to the air and swept the group onto the floor.

"Kill him!" Vul yelled, firing blind shots. Marx dodged them easily with the grace of a swan. He counterattacked, depleting seeds that turned into long, thorny vines. The vines rose high to the ceiling, making evasion difficult. Some of the thorns pierced the boys, making them in panic. Poppy tugged frantically until he gained the sense to take his torn cap off.

Sailor Dee shrieked as another thorn pierced his stomach. The fresh drops of blood scattered from his wound, forming a small puddle. The fleshy scent drew Marx's attention to him. At the same time, Vul heard the yell and began shooting away at the vines.

"Take care of Poppy!" he squawked to Trident, who made his way to the bomber. The old crow soared through the wind as fast as his little feet could carry him. Marx was racing him in the opposite direction, executing fierce barrel rolls. The Waddle Dee was in a matter of life and death. He lost all consciousness and slipped into oblivion.

Marx grinned, clearing the last of the vines; Vul's wings made him glide across the floor, spring to the top of the thorns, and down in a successful swoop. Both competitors were entering from the front and the back room. Marx from the door and Vul from the back. The dive carried him past Marx, and he snatched Dee just in time.

A flurried jester tumbled into a thorn, which snagged his right wing. He howled in pain, jerking himself to the ground. The thorn embedded itself into the wing further, making crystals shatter in both wings. "No! My beautiful wings!" he howled. He jerked the wing free, staring at his crystals in horror. "You freaking dogs! You've ruined my beautiful image! You're going to DIE!" he screamed in a terrible rage. His eyes turned red, as he transformed again.

His hat's fluff balls developed spikes. His golden wings turned to a deep red, growing longer. The shoes' tips curved into an elfish curve. Cackling maniacally, he rose to the middle of the ceiling. "No one rains on my parade!" he roared. He dropped another bomb that turned into a black hole. The hole began to suck everything in the room with a spiral spin. Trident and Vul rejoined, carrying a kid each and headed to the door, pronto. There wasn't much time!

Marx sat back, watching the show. He evilly laughed, from this being the final note of his musical. _This should work. _With a horizontal sweep of his wings, he ended the vacuum of space. "WHAT!?"

Everything was gone in the room. Even the travelers! The only clue he had was the trail of blood. He muttered a low curse to himself as he flew out of the huge hole that had just been made. As he examined the hole, he determined that it was the bomber's work that gave them grace. Sucking in a huge breath, he moaned, "Magolor's not gonna like this," and flew to another place.


	12. A King's War (Cutscenes)

**_Character debut: Marx, current and 1st ruler of Pop Star_**

***Earlier***

"Who are you? What have you done with the King!?" Waddle Doo yelled.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you bring Meta Knight to us," Marx hissed, knocking the captain's spear away with his wing. The Waddle Dees cowered before this mighty beast. "Now, you will obey my commands or else." He took one Waddle Dee and dangled him outside the window. The Waddles began squeaking frantically, waving short stubby arms in protest.

The Waddle Doo gulped, seeing no other choice but to give in. "Alright. You're the leader," he submitted.

"That's better," Marx laughed, "But I prefer you call me King." He glistened his wing's claws in the lights, admiring himself. "Now, bring me back Meta Knight, and I'll give you a special reward. The reward of _being a ruler yourself_."

The greedy Waddle Doo accepted. "You've got yourself a deal! Troops! Objective: Seek and apprehend!"

The Waddle Dees turned their heads in unison from one superior to the other, confused. Marx frowned at their stupidity. "Idiots, you heard the man! Get a move on!" he snapped. In response, the Waddle Dees scrambled off in a stampede.

***Later***

"_What!? What do you mean he wasn't there!?_" the infuriated jester screeched. The trembling mass of Dees hunched over in cowardliness. "B-but my King, he wasn't present at the moment, so we had to get someone," stuttered Waddle Doo. Marx eyed the captain with a deep hatred. "Then who are you bringing in?"

"We're bringing in the old cook. His second-in-command."

"Anyone else?"

"Two boys and a ball with a taco for a hat."

"Hmm," Marx smirked. "That will be fun." His bright face was passed over with the shadow of judgment. "However, that won't prevent your punishment from ensuing. You clearly didn't follow instructions. I wanted _Meta Knight. _Not his _subordinates_."

Waddle Doo muttered low curses underneath his breath. He couldn't turn back, no sir. If he had to die, he had to die a brave death. Turning back in his generation was considered cowardly.

With two large claws, pointed and beckoned him forward. "You know who you are…." Marx's eyes turned red, as Waddle Doo took two steps forward to his death.

"AAAHHH!"

_Slash! Splurt!_

A stream of blood poured forth as the captain was murdered. The Waddle Dees tumbled over one another in panic, trying to escape through the only door. Marx immediately locked the door. "None of you will escape alive! I will not tolerate such stupidity! _All of you will pay!_"


	13. Escape from Pop Star (Intro Cutscene)

Marx entered a ship, calling out, "Hey bro! Where are ya?"

"_Once again, Marx, you failed to capture Meta Knight_," an annoyed voice answered.

"Isn't my fault this time. It was the captain's," the jester pointed out.

"_I specifically ordered you to bring him to the ship, not the castle._"

"Oh c'mon. What was I supposed to do with the rotting bodies lying around? We can't even explain what happened to the king?"

"We don't want an uprising on our hands. Besides, we already had enough trouble fighting Landia to get here."

Marx huffed, sitting on the cold floor of the ship. He looked around, all the colorful (yet useless to his wings) buttons and screens. The technology fascinated him. A clearing of the throat caught his attention.

_"Mind you that this ship is not a toy."_

Marx grinned. "It's not like, I'm gonna kamikaze it!"

An annoyed, "Hmph," was omitted. A wizardly alien came from behind one of the control panels.

"You know I don't like this mission more than I do, but we must do as he says so we can gain control of Pop Star," the alien said.

Marx rolled his eyes. "And that means no lollygagging."

"That isn't called lollygagging!" he replied, wiggling the alien's ears. "It's called getting into shape!"

"EEK!" the alien squeaked, grasping his ears. Marx smirked, knowing that his foster brother hated that notion.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" he asked.

The alien answered, "Simple. If he can't be brought to us, we'll just get him ourselves." Magolor floated over to the middle control panel and began punching in commands.  
Marx looked at him with a worried look. "And you know that this ship isn't in good condition?"

Magolor snickered as he typed in the last command. "Don't worry my brother, this ship can outstand anything. If we can there, we can get anywhere."

The Lor Starcutter rose with a heavy groan as it gained power. In the blink of an eye, the insane duo set off in search for the Halberd.

_"Hey Mag, you mind if we stop off to Whispy Woods for a quick meal?"_

_ "….."_

* * *

**Author's note (6/9/2013):  
**_Hey, everyone! It's been a long time since I have updated, but luckily it's summer time. So let's get straight to work! (^o^)/_

Character debut: Magolor  
Status: Diabolical foster brother of Marx  
Profession: Pilot and technological genius. Owns the Lor Starcutter


	14. Training with Meta Knight

**Training with the Knight**

_Where was our wondrous hero during all of this? Let's find out, shall we?_

Hank and I walked back to where we has first clashed. "So, how's it been going with your first few days, here, huh?"

I said nothing. Anything that slipped out of my mouth could be a trap.

"Tough? Isn't it? Well, you see, what happened there was just my own test to see if you were sturdy enough to make it pass through the course. And let me say, you were quite a shocker, kiddo!" he heartily laughed.

I carried on the silence. He looked at me again with concern. "Hey, it's all right. I may appear to be frightening, but it's not what you think."

"Then explain your murderous act."

"Darn kiddo, must I repeat myself? It's was only a test! You didn't expect it to get that serious, did you?"

"It seemed like it!" I was on the verge of having an argument there on the spot. I was ready to open a can of whup-ash on him.

"Kid, you take things too seriously. You need to learn how to kick back and, _relax. _It does good for the body."

"Hmph," I crossed my hands. "Back where I came from, too much play means laziness."

I assumed he had enough because he picked me up by the helmet. "Alright, playtime's over, kiddo. First lesson: never take orders from strangers!" He threw me into the Training Room with my helmet's horns clashing into the wall. They sunk in with a _Fwip! _"They aren't strangers!" I protested.

Hank huffily walked up to me, like the big, bad wolf. "They are to us! I'll let you in on a little secret- You folks have no right to train under the Knight himself! You are of low background, son! You're just lower than dirt!"

All the bones in body vibrated. "I'll sum your essay up!" I yelled, jerking myself free, and pouncing onto Hank.

In the moment of glory, I slew the mighty beast with the Monkey's Thousand Strikes.

"_That's enough!"_

We scrambled to our feet in surprise. Bowing before him, Hank spoke, "Forgive mine and Sir Axe's actions, my lord. It twas-" My mind was filled with disgust as the sentimental knight filled his lies with sweet honey. In my case, he was just using long words with the most unusual pronunciation.

Meta Knight waved his hand. "You have done enough today, Sir Hank. Go tend to the Wheelies and see if they're functioning properly. I'll handle Axe's training myself."

Hank brushed past me, with a shock of electricity buzzing between us. He stopped for one moment, eyes locking with mine. A vortex of repulsion swirled in his eyes. I wanted him to stay just a few more minutes to showcase my inner tiger. "The second lesson is: Never trust strangers," he warned.

"Nay, thee knight, for thy ignorance is great," I hissed back.

Hank slammed the lever down to take him up the elevator. Meta Knight chuckled. "You kids have no respect for the elders." I was puzzled. _Since when did he have humor?_ "Now that he's gone, I can give you the proper training this experience has to offer."

Adrenaline coursed through my veins.

He silently cast his first attack. A sword beam was cast from the sword and knocked me into the ceiling. "You always must be on your guard!" he called from above. He propelled himself up with his wings and began to attack me as I fell down. Sparring weapons was a difficult thing to do while falling. Sparks flew as sword and battleaxe grazed each other. I managed to counterattack, knocking his arm away for a moment. With the spare second, I slashed a cut across his mask. He was stunned and folded in his wings, plummeting to the ground. He dropped like a shooting star.

_This is my chance, _I thought. I tucked my hands behind me, falling behind him. As I got closer, one gold orb opened wide. _What the?! _ The knight's falling body, turned facing me. "One for me-" Meta Knight began. He flapped open his left wing, knocking me into a downward spiral. The hit earned me a scratch across my helmet. –"And one for you!" he finished. He gave an uppercut, blocking my horizontal slash. Within a few inches from the ground, our weapons met, making us fly toward the opposite sides of the battlefield. _How in the world will I overcome him!?_ I thought.

A little idea popped into my mind. But the light bulb was fizzled by a-

"MACH TORNADO!"

A red and yellow tornado swirled, rushing across the room and enveloped me in its winds. I was circling like a merry-go-round. I was screaming for my life as this windy rollercoaster blew me from the tunnel to the ceiling again. Meta Knight saw this as the perfect opportunity and knocked me down again. Accidentally, I let go of my axe, which struck him in the mask. The knight in turn lost grip of the sword and we plummeted to the field's ground.

"Oof!"

"Ugnh…." I groaned, holding my entire body. For my short size, vibrations can take a powerful effect.

Then I heard the clapping of hands from across our spots. "Well done, kiddo! You've got the bravo of a warrior!" Hank shouted.

"The Wheelies must be in their circuits if you're back so soon," Meta Knight said, brushing him off. His mask's restraints were dislocated on the left side, and wrapped his cloak around himself to prevent his face from being revealed.

"I'm actually the reminder for lunch time. As you can see, it's already a quarter past noon," Hank corrected him. "Just letting you know, sir." He backed out of the room, eyeing me.

Meta Knight turned, staring at me with those huge orbs. "You are worthy of some potential. However, that doesn't mean you are one of the best yet. Practice some more, and you'll prove yourself to me." He walked out of the room, leaving me alone.

For once in my life, I felt a little happy of being criticized. I quickly gathered myself together and followed him.

New questions swirled like the tornado about him. The one that protruded my brain the most was: _**Who is he really?**_

But that will have to wait. First, I must replenish myself with some food!


	15. Galacta Knight Arrives

**In the Dark Matter Army's dungeon...**

Mace woke up to find himself chained to a wall. "What the? Where am I?"

"You sir, are in good hands," a voice cackled.

"And who might you be?" he asked.

"Why, I am Aaron, Swordsman of the Dark Matter!" the swordsman said, brandishing his lance to each side. Mace remained silent with a hostile glance. "Ah? You are not of the speaking type I thought you would be. A boaster, perhaps?" Aaron laughed.

"How did I get in here?"

"Simple. Hank here was gracious enough to turn you in for 50 pieces of gold," Aaron's smile was hidden under his mask, stepping aside to let the knight take a closer look at him.

Hank walked to up to the helpless knight with a cold sneer on his face. "Now that I have all the money I need, I will be able to take over the Halberd!"

Panic rose in Mace's heart, making him gasp. _Take over the Halberd!?_

Aaron laughed insanely. "The dawn of a new era!"

The knight quickly recollected his thoughts and replied, "Money won't buy our spirit!"

Hank pulled out a Swiss Army Knife and held it under his throat. "Then war will make you bow down to your knees!"

"You can't possibly beat us with only two of you!"

"Wrong! There are more of us!" Aaron said, stabbing the spot next to Mace's arm. Mace used his feet to swing himself out of the way. "You boy, need an education in knowledge. Apparently, you aren't smart and tough enough to be a soldier. But we have someone to take care of that for you." He moved back to the other side, joining Hank when a new person came in.

**_"Rare, medium, or well-done?"_**

Hank pulled Mace's head down to emphasize the dramatic scene. "Do you hear that, boy? Your fate will be decided."

Mace gave no response. Hank and Aaron worked at the chains, restraining his arms. Mace fell to the ground with a hard landing. The dirty concrete floor smelled of fish. The cold cell was coming alive, gripping him with its deathly fingers.

**_Click-click, click-click, click-click, click-click_**

**_"Ah, we have a new prisoner, Aaron?"_**

"Indeed we do, Brother Knight. He is Mace. Perhaps you have heard of his father?"

**_"Agravaine? So this is his son."_**

"Exactly. As you have heard, Agravaine possessed extraordinary skills to be a Star Warrior. Surely it could mean the same thing for the heir?"

**_"I have heard you correctly, brother. The Experimental Chamber has already been prepared for him."_**

"All right then, let's bring him in!" Aaron and Hank laughed evilly as they took him by the arms.

"Let go of me, you sons of biscuits! What do you know of my father!?" he roared, kicking his feet.

"Ah? A feisty one, isn't he?" Aaron laughed. Hank agreed, "Hold on tight to him! He's a wild rooster!"

As the three passed the fourth figure, Mace took a sneak glance at him. The newcomer was of magenta-pink complexion. He was similar to Meta Knight in his mysterious aura, but with a different type of mask, pink glowing rectangular eyes, and yellow horns. His attire was completely white. He was armed with a broad pink lance and a white shield with the magenta cross on it. To complete the appearance were angelic, huge feathery wings.

The two locked eyes for a moment, not daring to speak a word to one another. Aaron and Hank stopped, jerking his arms. "Take a good look at him, boy. You'll be seeing him for quite a while," Aaron said. Mace blushed under the knight's gaze and managed to quiver, "Who are you?"

The knight's eyes glowed even brighter. "I used to be a Star Warrior just like your father, before I changed my path to become a servant under Zero Two. I walk in the path of evil. I am the howling of the tornado when it comes to toss you away. I am the slayer of purity. I am the nightmare in your dream. I am the darkness, who overcomes the light. I am Galacta Knight."

A chill ran up Mace's spine as he registered the words.

As his captors released their grip, he took it as a chance to escape. He bit Hank's arm then kicked Aaron aside. Galacta foresaw the incident then swooped to the boy with a _whoosh_ of his large wings. He only ran for a few feet then was in Galacta's grip. Their eyes locked again. The magenta knight's stare pierced holes into Mace's courage.

"My master intends to see him in good condition. Don't wound him or else the experiment will be completely useless. It's hard to find good knights these days." Galacta Knight dropped him into Aaron and Hank's grips.

"You won't live to see the day once I'm through with you all!" Mace roared as he was dragged away. Hank knocked him unconscious.

"I'm tellin' ya. This kid's getting out of hand. We have to stabilize him."

Aaron smirked. "Don't worry about that. I have the perfect dose in mind. Who says that good medicine can be bad for you?"

The two villainously laughed, pausing for a moment. Galacta cut them off with a snap of his fingers. "That's enough, you two! Bring him to the Chambers, now! Zero Two doesn't like his patience to be tested!" he scolded. The inferiors shut their mouths and quickly brought the captive below the dungeons for specifically unknown reasons.

Galacta gazed out of the dungeon's window into the night sky, chuckling. "_You have much to lose, Meta Knight_," he vowed. His eyes narrowed into illuminated slits as he disappeared into the darkness. _"__And I intend to take it all…"_

* * *

__**Author's note (6/24/2013):  
**Okay, I had a bit of trouble coming up with this chapter, but I think it turned out well.

Character debuts: Aaron, Galacta Knight, and that doggone Hank. Aaron is a Dark Matter Swordsman from the Kirby games, a recurring enemy later in the series.


	16. Escape from Pop Star: Ambiguous Rage

**A Knight's Acceptance: Chapter 16**

**Ambitious Rage**

"This is insane!" Captain Vul squawked. The party rushed back inside the ship in a frantic mess. Torn clothes and everything. He banged on the door frantically. "Sword! Blade! Open this bloody door!" he yelled.

Trident pointed to the sky. "Look!" The Lor Starcutter was hovering over the forest. Leaning out of the window, Marx was laughing insanely. He stuck his tongue out, blowing a raspberry at them. Magolor also stuck his head out, too. "We'll get you freaks!" he yelled.  
Marx cleared his throat. "Sorry, I meant scoundrels!" Magolor corrected. The party screamed as its shadow passed over them.

"Open the door!" Pappy wailed. The door finally fell to the ground with a huge THUD! Also, he was the first to run inside, being near the end of his wits.

Meta Knight and Axe were the first to greet them, shocked by their appearance. "What happened?!" Axe shouted incredulously. Meta Knight searched them, reading their faces.

"I told you not to get involved in combat, only if necessary," Meta Knight said calmly.

"Exactly what we did, sir! Those fools attacks us first!" Captain Vul was practically close to screaming his head off. "Look at what they've done to Sailor Dee!" He held the battered and bleeding Waddle Dee in his hands. Axe gasped and rushed over to him with a worried aura.

Meta Knight waved his hand. "Then it's our turn to attack." The party was eager to get their hands on the controls in revenge. Nobody hurts the weakest member and gets away with it. He turned to Axe Knight and said, "Take him to the clinic. He will heal up there. Then report back on the bridge."

Axe Knight saluted and rushed away with Dee in his hands. Dispatching the recruit, he led the crew to the bridge.

In the control room, two of the knights were heavily occupied with the controls.

"The Lor is heading right toward us," the first knight reported. He had a tuft of red hair and bright green armor.

The second knight who wore dark green armor with a dark brown belt added, "They seem to be inflicted with dark magic. As you can tell by their psychotic nature."

"That doesn't mean that they can't get a good aim on us. Blade! Adjust accelerator on high!"

"Yes sir!" The ship began to gain speed.

"Sword! Increase the altitude in the wings!"

"Yes sir!" The Halberd lifted quickly off the ground.

"Vul! Steer the ship in their general direction!"

Everyone paused in their activit to stare at their leader. "B-but, sir! You mean straight towards them!?"

"I know what I'm doing, Captain," Meta Knight said calmly.

"You're out of your mind!?"

The phlegmatic leader looked at the flurried albatross. His narrowed eyes told the albatross to do as he commanded. Vul returned to the steering the ship without further complaints. The kid bomber walked up to him nervously. "W-what am I supposed to do, sir?"

Meta Knight stared at the kind, making him quiver. "Trident, you and Javelin take him to the clinic also and clean him up."

**Back in the Lor...**

"Ha ha! We have them in our sight!" Magolor laughed. He tightened his grip on the wheel.

"Hee hee!" Marx agreed. "We'll teach them not to mess with the Dark One's plans!"

"Press the button!"

Marx's claws raised up... then back down. Magolor turned to him with an annoyed expression. "What's impeding you, brother?"

"Well Mag, considering the impact of the explosion, it could wipe us out."

"What other way do you suggest?"

"I would sneak on to the ship while you distract them."

"Guerilla warfare!?"

"Exactamente!"

"..." Magolor returned to his pondering.

**[Halberd]**

Blade leaned closer to the radar. "They aren't firing, sir."

The leader stood before the window with a calm look on his face. "Wait."

Everyone stood still, anticipating the next move. Blade turned to Sword. "Seriously? When are they going to fire?" Sword only shrugged.

**[Lor]**

"No! You're insane!" Marx yelled, grabbing Magolor.

"I may be insane, but I will finish the job! Mwa ha ha ha!" his power-crazed brother laughed. He fought off Marx's grip and headed to the controls. He flew in a frenzy across the room, adjusting the dials. He pulled on the levels with ambition. "I must complete the job."

"Magolor! Listen to me! We're going to die!" Marx made his brother turn, eyes meeting.

They stared at each other for a minute. Marx's concerned eyes searched the other. A shadow of normality passed over Magolor. Marx beamed until Magolor blinked.  
"No. We must finish the job for The Dark One." He pushed him off to the side and returned to the controls.  
"Now," Magolor commanded Marx. "Press the button."  
Marx sighed. A flashback began in his head.

_*Flashback*  
A frustrated Marx sat staring at the puzzle. He was unsure of where to put the last piece. Then younger Magolor silently came and put it at its designated place. "Gee thanks!" Marx grinned. "No problem!" Magolor returned a smile. "This is easy compared to what I do!"_

_Years later, they began to work as the pranksters of crime. The duo would always set off to a "mission" and return with "rewards," making the faint of the heart run to their homes in fear. They were inseperable: one making the plan and the other doing the dirty work. Returning home victoriously. Arm in arm, crazy laughing, and demented grins._

Marx stared at the button. He didn't want to take their own lives just for a silly trinket. Little did he know that the "silly trinket" contained powers to control the universe. All he knew was that Magolor was just earnestly waiting to be rewarded.

They will get it once the job is finished. He just wanted to finish the job and carry on a casual life. But no. That's not the case.

Magolor rushed over, irritated. "You're just standing there! You idiot! You're always the most sympathetic one! The one saving the puppies from animal shelters, giving money to the poor kids, always making others happy! Grow up and move on!" He forcibly shoved the jester over and pushed the button. Marx was sent flying to the wall and crashed.

"NO!"

The Lor's main cannon charged with intense light. Marx gasped. "You!"

Meta Knight raised his hand. "Get ready!"

Once the light was gathered into one huge ball, the laser turned into all sorts of colors.

"Aim!"

"FIRE!" the Lor shot a laser, with the Halberd counterattacking with a volley of their own laser beams. The Lor's laser began to collect the beams and became huge.

"Keep firing!"

"WOO HOO!" Captain Vul shouted, raising a fist into the air.  
Sword and Blade were mashing at the buttons, testing each other's flexibility and speed. "I'm gonna beat you!" Blade spoke. Sword just smirked.

The huge electric ball was forced against the forces of the beams and began to fly in the opposite direction. In the duration, it gained speed and rushed at a higher rate.

Marx stared at the screen. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Magolor just stood confused. When he blinked rapidly, he freaked out, pressing both hands to his face. **"OH -!"**

_**BOOM!**_

The Lor exploded into tiny little bits, star trails leaving the tiny pieces.

Back on the Halberd, everyone was celebrating. They gave each other high fives and snarky comments.

"That's one down, sir!" Vul said, triumphantly, saluting. "What are your next plans?" The soldiers saluted, giving attention to their commander.

Meta Knight continued staring at the glittering pieces and charred technology.

_"We will pay our 'friends' a little visit. And rescue one of our own. We have taken back "_

The crew members clapped, commemorating their rescue mission.


	17. The Birth of the Blood Knight

**A Knight's Acceptance: Chapter 17**

**The Birth of the Blood Knight**

"Mmm," Aaron said, bringing a hand to caress Mace's cheek. "Pity that a handsome young man like you is a guinea pig. It will leave such hideous scars on your body." He gazed at the unconscious knight.

Galacta folded his wings in as he read the paper. "This experiment requires so little, yet it promises so much. First, I will need a vial."

Hank almost stumbled over in trying to overtake Aaron's attempt. He brought it to Galacta. His superior smiled in return. "You're a worthy assistant, brother Hank." Hank gushed, armor turning a shiny pink. Aaron sniffed snootily, jealous of the praise. If there was one thing he could excel at, _it was being a sucker._

"Next, I will need..." Galacta turned, pointing to Mace. "Him. Take the chains off, Aaron." The Dark Swordsman did his bidding, releasing them and catching the limp form in his hands.

"Third," the pink knight continued. "I will need the fluids." A smile crossed Aaron's face, unsheathing his sword. He slew a small cut onto the knight's arm, bringing forth the dark red liquid. Holding the vial close, the blood slowly filled it up. He handed it to Galacta. "Thank you, brother Aaron."

Galacta held the vial up and tilted the fluids into a strange machine. The machine spluttered and emitted sparks. Then he uncovered a cage containing a Dark Matter wisp. Somehow, he managed to grab the translucent matter and put it in another container. He turned to Aaron and Hank, explaining his theory. "If we are able to combine the soul of a Dark Matter and a normal being, then we should have the magic to create extraordinary powers. However, the powers will only last temporarily."

Hank gulped. "You mean... Dark Magic?" Aaron laughed. "Of course! The deepest secrets and our hearts lie here!"

Little did Hank know that the Dark Magic often required a sacrifice. A sacrifice necessary to complete their submission to the Dark Matter Army. The sacrifice of a body.

A little moan sounded behind them. "Wha's going on?" Mace asked drowsily. Galacta Knight quickly turned to them. "Put his body inside the container!"

Mace quickly gathered his senses and started screaming. "Hey! What are you doing with me!? Stop! Let me go!"

Aaron and Hank quickly took a hold of him by the arms, slamming him into the strange machine along with the Dark Matter. The Dark Matter smiled, revealing black ink dripping from its pointed teeth in a grin. Upon seeing the mortal, its pupils shrank leaving a glazed appearance. It started tearing at his armor, with Mace trying to shoo it away to no extent. He started screaming pitifully as canines sank into his arms. The machine started shaking and spinning with the antagonists stepping back close to the wall. Then with a _CRASH!_ it landed with a thud.

Hank was the first to step up to the machine and knocked on the inside. He squeaked in fear, landing on his back. "It's gonna blow!" he cried, scrambling back. Aaron and Galacta pressed themselves against the concrete wall, shielding themselves against flying pieces of machinery.

Purple and blue smoke circled throughout the room in dark, luminescent swirls. The smoke died out with a little fizz. Then a shadowy figure stepped out of the smoke.  
"Master," he said, bowing to Galacta Knight and Aaron. Galacta and Aaron shared surprised looks. _Was this the result they expected?_ "I come to serve you," the new figure continued, looking up at them with red eyes. "Your wish is my command." As he spoke, his mouth revealed tiny, glittering canines occupying his normal teeth.

Galacta brought his hands together, cackling. "Aha! Just like the book said! It worked! It worked!"

Aaron hid a smirk as Hank stared at him with surprise. He laid a hand on him. "Say hello to your new partner!"

Dark Mace stood up, locking eyes with Hank. Hank sweat-dropped as he saw the Dark Matter possessing his rival. "H-hello," he awkwardly said. He brought a hand to him. "No hard feelings?"

His "partner" didn't give as much as a wink, let alone a little grunt. He coldly turned his back on him, expecting orders.

Galacta snapped his fingers. "Bring him the new weapon, Hank. We mustn't let him fight with our enemies' names engraved into his memories."  
Hank sniffed as he retreated to the weapon room. Watching him, Aaron chuckled. _So much for being a sucker, huh, Hank?_ he thought. The knight brought back a black flail, equipped with many more spikes than usual. Red droplets covered the spikes, giving it the stained metal taste to it. "He looks impressive," Aaron commented as he searched him over. From his sixth senses, Zero Two's aura was fully in possession.

"Say, brother Knight, how long is the effects supposed to last?" Aaron asked Galacta. No answer from Galacta. He was too busy staring at his new pupil with ambition.

Hank looked outside the only window in the dungeon and got their attention. "We've got company!" the knight said.  
"Never mind all the mushy stuff, let's get a move on!" Aaron yelled, drawing his sword.  
The four hurried out of the room to gather their Army for the battle that will ensue.

* * *

**Author's note (7/26/2013):  
**_We have a newcomer: Dark Mace. I must've give the details out yet, but let alone the fact that he's in the Dark Matter Army, now. So now, he's officially "The Blood Knight." :3  
__Alright people, we're going to war! Dark Matter Army against Halberd Crew!  
_

_Fire up your popcorn, 'cause this is some serious coffee._


	18. Battling the Dark Force

**A Knight's Acceptance**

**Chapter 18: Battling the Dark Force**

**Theme music: The Maid and the Pocket Watch of Blood**

**[Intro]**

The two ships sailed into the night sky, facing each other. They set themselves over the glimmering sea, where crocodiles awaited them below. They were about to clash in the epic battle of good and evil.

**[Axe Knight's POV]**

I walked down to the headquarters, no longer fearing for my life. I had made the decision to go into battle, regardless of the insults.

"Hey, pipsqueak!" one of Hank's friends called out. He and a bunch of other buff fellows crowded next to the elevator, guffawing at the sight of me. "You'll never make it! Ain't got what it takes to be a man!" I rolled my eyes and stood in front of the door.

I was fearing for Dee and Mace's life. Fighting with phoenix's passion, nothing will stand in my way. I will take down everything at hand, even if it means taking my own life. I backed away from the door, seeing my own cowardly reflection and wiped the last sweat off my head.

I entered the headquarters with the bridge crew busy at work.

"Am I relieved to see you!" Trident greeted me. "Haven't talked to you in a long time."

"So am I," I replied. "Where's Meta Knight?"

"He's in his office."

"Thanks."

I brushed past them and opened the second door. Meta Knight was sitting in his leather chair and turned to face me. "What are you doing here?" Captain Vul asked. Meta Knight's golden eyes was doing its familiar "piercing through my skull," but no matter. I swallowed and began to speak.

"I want to fight."

Captain Vul raised an eyebrow. "Fight!?" he squawked in surprise.

**[Dark Army]**

Aaron and Galacta poised themselves before Zero Two. "My lord," Aaron said as they bowed before him.

Zero Two descended from the cloudy red sky. "My two loyal subjects," his halo gleamed. "You may speak."

"Our enemies are posing a threat to us, therefore we must take action. I propose a preemptive strike," Aaron briefly explained.

"I see. You must agree on a suitable strategy," Zero Two turned his back on them, allowing them to converse.

Aaron spoke, only to be cut off by Galacta. "We should allow the enemies to get closer to us."

The swordsman turned to him with a shocked look. "What? And let them have the advantage."

Galacta laughed. His rectangular magenta eyes glowed. "No, not an advantage. Once we get close enough, we give them the element of surprise. Surprises aren't fun at long distances, now are they?"

Aaron fell silent. _Let this fool take over and we'll lose a thousand Matter. _He looked, noticing that the knight was staring at him. "You may be very great and powerful, but it takes a strong mind to win a war."

Galacta's eyes stopped beaming, replaced with an ominous red. He walked right up to Aaron, who remained on rigid ground. "I'll have you know that a strong mind is very weak," he growled.

Their locked eyes held on until Zero Two spoke again, "I assume you're having a problem?"

Aaron took the spoken advantage. "Just a little tiff. I'm sure you understand, my lord."

"I do understand," Zero Two said, staring at his little crystal ball. The crystal ball showed the events of the protagonists as they made their way to the realm. He fell silent, too, giving Aaron a silent notice that he wanted them to take action.

"Then we shall commence at the threat at once," Aaron smiled. Galacta gave him a death glare.

"Fine." Galacta folded his wings in, unfurling them rapidly. "Do whatever you wish, _brother._"

The two teleported out of the realm and into the Army's Grounds where the Matter was residing. Little dark blobs swished to and fro. Aaron clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Ahem! I am pleased to inform that the Dark Lord has given his consent for us to commence battle! Tonight, we shall fight Meta Knight and his little band of misfits. I want you all to perform your best. Mistakes will not suffice! Gather round, for we will make an enemy powerful enough to subdue them."

Galacta joined in. "Have no mercy and leave no prisoners behind. On one condition. I want Meta Knight for my own. Keep him alive, for I have a little discussion planned for us."

The Dark Matter howled and screeched with excitement. Their hunger would soon be satisfied, no longer feeding off the bones or the carrion of ravens.

**[Axe Knight]  
**"Fight!?" Captain Vul repeated. "You must be joking!"

"Silence!" Meta Knight said, swishing his cape aside. "He has shown himself to be one of the finest warriors I've ever battled. If he wants to prove himself in battle, then so be it. Send him to the bridge crew. They will be the last to battle and will be in the far ranks."

He left the room in a rush to join in the tension of the battle.

Vul and I stood alone in the office with the door hanging open. "Come here, boy," the albatross growled. As soon as I moved, I parried his knife. "You're good," he slyly smirked. He strode to me, holding the knife under my head. "If you're working for the Dark Matter, take notice of this. I will give you a thousand cuts and kill you personally if I will," he warned me. I backed away from him to join Meta Knight.

**[War Against the Dark Army- Still Axe's POV]**

The Halberd sailed into the full moon. The Dark Army's ship was hovering over a dark brush of trees, looming in the horizon.

"There they are," Captain Vul said. "Steady now," he told me. My hands were turning to jelly as I steered the ship. _I wanted to fight, not steer a boat, _I groaned in my head. My nerves were bouncing all over the place. _For Mace and Dee, Mace and Dee, _I reminded myself. I turned it slowly to the left, avoiding the treetops.  
"Careful! You're going to start open season!" he squawked. I mentally groaned, noticing my mistakes.

The Army's Ship loomed in front of the Halberd.

"We're receiving a transmission, Captain," Blade reported, pushing the button. The Captain himself was pleased because he didn't have to repeat his orders twice, or let alone give them the okay signal. _An impulsive storm rages against the calming wind, _I recited in my head.

The transmission's screen flickered on to show a shot of Zero Two. He was even more horrifying than I imagined. My eyes were transfixed to the bleeding droplets falling from the corner of his eye.

"Hello, Zero," Meta Knight defiantly said.

"Likewise," Zero Two calmly replied. "I assume that you pathetic, mortal beings are up to the challenge?"

"Yes. I hope you and your little ghosts are prepared, too."

Zero Two blinked in laughter. "Ha ha! You are making a grave mistake, Star Warrior."

Meta Knight's hands clenched into fists. "Do not bring up the past," he growled.

"I don't intend to. Now I'll give you a proposition. To you cowards, I give you grace and let you take your leave. I'll give you 3 seconds.

1…."

No one stirred. They all looked at each other.

"2…"

We all stood firm and rigid. We all stood together as a unit. I felt a warm presence rush over me in gratitude and respect. _If Meta Knight can defy opposition, so can we!_

"3."

With his huge eye, he scanned over us. When I felt his gaze fall upon me, he chuckled. "And _this _is what you call a soldier!?" he howled with laughter. He flapped his wings, side to side. "Meta Knight, you never fail to amuse me!"

"Come then! Let us commence battle at once!" The transmission ended into a bright light, blinding us.

I felt vibrations underneath my hands. "Umm, Captain…" I squeaked. I wasn't the only one feeling it, too. Everyone else was slipping and sliding on the tiles. In a flash, we found ourselves inside the Dark Army's ship.

Vul's eyes widened once he saw the crew members disappear in the light.

***The Dark Matter Army's Ship***

The dark and dim ship was filled with skeletons, bones, and hanging chains. Our eyes darted left to right as we took in the surroundings. "Let us presume quickly, while time is on our side," Meta Knight said.

"_**Oh… Not so fast… Meta Knight. You are new here, after all, so let me explain this little game we're playing. It's called… Survival of the Fittest."**_

"Hey! I'm becoming transparent!" Blade panicked, raising his hands. His hands were emitting tiny sparkles as he began to fade out like a chameleon. "Sword!"  
"Darn it!" Sword breathed as he found himself fading.

"Blade! Sword!" Trident yelled. I was speechless when I perceived nothing in their presence. They were gone. Just like that.

"_**Now, **__**Meta Knight. I presume that you are missing two of your men, correct? Don't worry, they're safe and sound… I think. And now…"**_

I heard Meta Knight call my name. "Axe Knight?" he spoke urgently. I looked down to my feet and they were growing transparent, too. "Trident! Javelin!" he yelled, turning to my companions. Javelin panicked, emitting rapid beeps in high pitches.

"Stay calm!" Trident reassured us. "And stay together as a group."

We disappeared, just like the latter before us.

**[Meta Knight]**

His crew members had vanished into thin air. _No worry, they can take care of themselves._

"Meta Knight, so good to see you again," Galacta Knight smiled as he stepped out of the darkness.

Meta Knight stood calm; inside he was really surprised.

"In case you were thinking, Meta," Galacta continued. "It was Zero Two who freed me from my icy prison. In exchange for working with him, he has promised me that I will control your ship after I defeat you."

"I take it as a challenge," Meta Knight said, thrusting his sword forward. Galacta counterattacked with a parry.

The battles began.

**[Quick transition to Sword and Blade]**

Sword and Blade fell flat on their faces. "I'm not liking this mission at all," Blade complained. "Quit whining and be ready!" Sword hushed, pulling out his weapon.

"_Viniste. I was beginning to grow bored…"_

"Come out whoever you are! We aren't scared of you!" Sword said.

"_This will be fun,"_ Aaron said, drawing his sword. He leaped from his perch in the ceiling, landing on the ground in front of the two combatants. "Ah, Sword and Blade. The nimble pipsqueaks," he taunted, slowly running his hand over the smooth sword.  
His cloak and scarf swirled in the wind as he landed.

"I am Aaron. That's all you need to know," he introduced himself.

The two knights stood their ground, fiercely glaring at him.

"Two against one! Easy!" Sword countered.

Blade squeaked. "Sword. Just think of it. Two of us against one of him."

_SCREEEEEE!_

Sword sweat-dropped, cursing. "We aren't alone."

"That's right," Aaron smiled. "You learn quick. Meet my little friends. Soul and Eater."

Two orbs of the Dark Matter formed through thin air on both sides. Both had one eye, oozing droplets, and pointy teeth.

"Your ugliness aren't welcome in my beautiful world," the swordsman smirked.

Sword and Blade began to sweat even more.

**[Axe, Trident and Javelin]**

I blinked rapidly. "You guys ok?" I asked Trident and Javelin.

"Yeah."

"_Well, well, well_," a voice said. We gasped at the sound of it.

That doggone Hank stepped out of the shadows. "Kid, you have grown to be a pain in the butt. You never stop following me, do you?"

The growing silent incident that happened during my training with Meta Knight rose up again.

"Come on out, Blood Knight. Meet your enemies."

My pupils shrank to the size of an acorn. "….."

Mace Knight walked out of the darkness. He was still the same looking, excluding the deadly canines, the red-tipped spikes on his flail, and the reek of red liquid.

We were speechless. Hank chucked like a jester. "So, how do you perceive your new friend?"

"As horrendous," I answered.

"Let's get one thing straight with him. He is the fury of the wildfire, the boiling blood of the volcano. He fights you not because you've wronged him, but because you're there."  
*quotes taken from Magic: The Gathering card

At the point of the finger, Hank sent the _caballero de sangre _flying toward us like a dust devil in Kansas. Trident and Javelin did a starting leap, flying into the air with their jetpacks. Since I was the only one standing on the ground, I had to be on the offensive.

_Cliiing! _My new axe could put up much of a fight against the flail. I was knocked on my back, tightly gripping it. I saw the spiked ball block out the lights, prompting me to roll out of the way. It came crashing down with a _THUD!_

Unable to pull it out, Mace snatched the chain off. It twisted, spinning in the air with a hiss. He lunged forward and thrust it to wrap around my hand. The pressure of the chain forced me to let go of my weapon. _Clang! _It fell to the floor. A forceful jerk sent me flying into him. Clashing into each other, the impact sent waves of vibration through us.

He was like a cheetah on a gazelle. I gulped when I looked beneath the dark depth of his eyes. He spoke no words but made his intentions clear. He pulled a fist back and punched me square in the face. My eyes rolled upward into the pitch black.

Javelin zoomed into Mace, knocking him off of me. "Beep! Beep! Beep!" He pulled out a weapon of his own and proceeded to stab at his armor. _Clink, clink, clink! Krrchk! Krchk!_

He reached the weak points of the armor, producing wounds. They covered the parameters of Mace's skin, causing the fluids to drop onto the floor. The stench of open flesh slapped me awake. I got to my feet, preparing for the next move.

Then Trident's wail paralyzed me.

It was all happening in slow motion.

During Javelin's mid-strike, Mace reached forward and grabbed the weapon. He held it high above his head.

_Somewhere a church bell rang._

_BONG! BONG!_

"_Javelin!"_

His condition was far beyond in recovery. He couldn't bring himself to reality. "Buddy…" Trident's head bowed for his fallen friend.

A sudden rage to destroy everything in my path surged through me. The urgency to tear down cities. My hands shook as my mind flushed with furious rage. Tears began to fall down my cheeks. My hands shook in uncontrollable rage. Squeezing my eyes tight, I picked up my weapon. With a high voice, I roared a war cry. I rushed past Mace, who fell on his back, and into Hank.

"That's it, kid. Come to Papa!" Hank encouraged me, beckoning me with his fists. _CHURK!_ I horizontally swung the blade into the side of his head. The blade met his head, making contact. I saw that I hit my target, as I began to see the fresh stream pour from his helmet. He stumbled then fell. I jumped on top, pinning my weight over his.

"No, no, no! I didn't mean it kid! I'm not the one to blame!" he stuttered.

"You were trying to take over the Halberd!" _POP! _I pulled his left arm, dislocating it from his shoulder.

"That wasn't true!"

"You tried to overthrow Meta Knight!"

"Yes, you are absolutely correct, but-" More bruises began to appear on his skin.

"You greedy cur!"

"But what are you!? You aren't a soldier! Yet he took you in, out of remorse!"

"Because I have potential!" I screamed into his face. I raised my fist and punched the denture in his helmet. He no longer had any use to be in this world. I had him right where I wanted. I held the blade at the tip of his throat.

Hank squeezed his eyes, bracing himself for the blow. "Go on. Be a man."

I paused, looking at my outstretched hand. Then I looked back at my work. The guy had a dislocated arm, an opening in the side of his head, and multiple purple bruises. It was a grotesque masterpiece.

I began to lift him up with the little rage that I had left. "Hmph," I grunted, hefting him up. Slowly, but surely, I walked to the nearest window.

Hank opened his eyes and began to panic. "What!? What are you doing!?" he screamed.

"Don't worry," I said sweetly. "Just a little skydiving won't hurt you."

With a kick, he fell out of the ship and into the water. Knowing the fact that the armor's weight is the equivalent to a block of cement, I felt pretty safe.

Next Trident and I tackled Mace. It took much effort to overpower him, but we managed to knock him out with a few blows to the neck and head. He, too, fell to a pitch black. We were going to carry him up when we heard a screeching voice.

_Who do you think you are to defeat our warriors!? _

A Dark Matter Swordsman appeared before us with a tattered cloak and a shattered necklace in his hands. He dropped the necklace and floated next to Mace's body. Shock registered in his eye as he scanned him over. "He was much more weaker than I thought," he muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He shook his head in disbelief. He picked up Mace's unconscious form in his hands. "It was lacking in…" His last word was indistinguishable. He turned to me with an icy look.  
"Excellent job in terminating Hank. I had no intention of keeping him. I must give you my reward."  
He raised his sword and brought it down into the floor. The floor began to shake. Stones rose from their respective places and knocked us into the air. Trident and I landed on our faces. When we got back up, both the swordsman and Mace was gone.

"Let's try to find Meta Knight. Or the others if we run into them by any chance," Trident said. I nodded. "Good idea."

We picked up our weapons and headed out. We met Sword and Blade, who were no better off themselves.

"Have you found Mace?" Sword asked. Trident's eyes were downcast. "…We had to leave him behind."

"Let's go!" I urged them. "We have to find Sir Meta Knight!"

The four of us ran through the hallways to find him. It was confusing where many of the halls led to. Some led to total darkness, others led to Dark Matter ambushes. By the time we reached our starting point, we were exhausted.

"I can't keep up much longer," Blade whimpered. "My feet are killing me!"

"We'll have to rest," Sword said, slumping to the ground by his side.

"We can't give up, now!" I exclaimed in surprise.

_Cling! Cling!_

"You hear that?"

_WHOOSH! Cling cling!_

"I hear swords!"

"I hear wings!"

"We must be near!"

"Hurry!"

We found Lord Meta Knight at the end of this hallway, engaged in combat with another opponent. The other opponent had a light pink complexion, opposed to the midnight blue. He had angelic wings that were the wingspan of an albatross. Feathers were strewn across their field. They both were engaged in the heated combat. As they switched sides, Meta Knight caught sight of us through the corner of his eye and flew to meet us. The opponent resumed, not wanting to take any chances, dashing to meet him with a parry. Meta Knight knocked his lance away and dove with falcon speed.

"Did you find Mace?"

"He was taken with a Dark Matter Swordsman."

The opponent spoke. "You mean Aaron took the Blood Knight?"

No one said anything, other than the opponent letting out a low curse. "What do you have to with Mace, Galacta?" Meta Knight growled.

"Ah, nothing of the sort," Galacta laughed. "Something you'll have to take up with the Master himself." He swore a slew of curses on Aaron. He was going to deal with him when he was finished with Meta Knight.

_CLASH! _Meta Knight dove forward to Galacta's struggle against his push. They were forcing each other toward the ground, with the dark knight taking the advantage. I saw a fury blazing in Meta Knight's eyes as he tried to disarm Galacta. Luckily, he knocked the sword away from Galacta.

Galacta's eyes widened in shock as he saw the weapon right out of his hands. Our eyes followed the flying lance as it hit the ground.

Meta Knight quickly acted and stabbed the lance between Galacta's eyes. The lance broke through the white armor with the sound of crushing bones. The crack of bones sent electrical currents through our bodies. A spray of blood splattered over Meta Knight's mask. Galacta's dreams of being a superior to the Army was crushed. Looks like Aaron's little tiff would have to be delayed. He no longer had the power he thought he had. With his last dying breath, a Dark Matter wisp rose out of his body and disappeared within the walls.

Sword clapped in approval. "One down, two more to go!"

"Then let's hurry, this place is getting spookier by the minute," Meta Knight said.

We dashed out of the hallway, heading to the quarters of Zero Two.

**[Aaron]**

Aaron was out of breath when he teleported to his master's realm. With Hank and Galacta's death, the Army was growing restless of having a leader. Zero Two would have to take matters into his own hands. As soon as he touched ground, he collapsed alongside the Blood Knight's body.

Zero Two was glaring at him. "What is the meaning of this?" he sternly asked.

"Their numbers… were small…. But they overpowered us…" Aaron panted.

"_Where is your amulet?"_

"It was shattered…." Aaron responded weakly.

Zero's eye widened at the word "shattered."  
_"NOW YOU HAVE NO POWER LEFT FOR EITHER OF YOU!" _he boomed in anger.

The swordsman winced as the words rang through his head. He had the nerves to anger his own master. But Zero Two silently reconciled with him mentally, since he knew that his own subordinates wouldn't give up so easily. He beckoned him with his wings.  
Aaron proceeded to bring Mace's body forward. He softly laid it on the ground. Zero Two blinked, then a droplet of blood fell from his eyes and onto the body.

The Blood Knight blinked, then opened his eyes. He yawned, gleaming his cat-like fangs. "What happened?" he murmured. Aaron caressed his cheek with his velvety hand. "You were knocked out."

"What about the others?"

"They're all dead."

"Then I guess we're the only ones left, huh?"

"Yeah."

Aaron noticed the cut on Mace's bottom cheek and passed his hand over it. "I can't heal your cut since I have no power left."

"That's all right," Mace smiled, taking the swordsman's hand. Aaron helped him get up, facing Zero Two.

"We are ready for your orders," they said, kneeling before their Master.

Zero Two turned his back on them. "This is turning out to be more complicated than I imagined. We'll have to think of a better strategy."  
He turned back to them. "Gentlemen, it has been an honor to fight alongside you. Truth be told, we may die. Each and everyone of us. So let us part with these words. Take hold of your weapons and seize the day. Stand your ground. Lest if anyone gets past you, you fought with honor."  
The two stepped close to him, letting him cry pools of blood, giving the remaining strength they had.

The Blood Knight and the Swordsman smiled as they felt the red, sticky liquid fall over them. The energized currents surged through them as they took hold of their weapons and disappeared from their master's sight.

Zero Two sighed. "It takes so much to run an army these days…"


End file.
